The Successor
by Kasutaria
Summary: Two hundred years after Meteor, the planet has moved on, but a group of archaeologists will uncover a past they never knew....a story told by their fathers and grandfathers that was believed to be false... The threat of Jenova is reborn...My first fanfic.
1. Uncover the Past

A calm and cool night descended upon the sleeping planet. Silhouetted, rolling  
hills extended for many miles into the horizon, spotlighted by a full moon that hanged  
high in the sea of stars. A few birds flew high in the sky, returning to their nests to seek  
refuge from the night's chill. Standing beside these hills was a group of mountains that  
appeared to stand tall with the hills looking up to them. A tall, dark figure stood on the  
highest peak of the mountains, overlooking the area. The figure, dressed completely in  
black, used the darkness to hide its presence. It seemed to be well-built and a long,  
polished silver sword was sheathed at its right side. Only the bright emerald green eyes  
would give away the presence as it stood motionless. A gentle night breeze tugged  
lightly at the figure's long hair. The eyes narrowed to a squint as a faint light appeared  
on the crest of one of the hills. A mighty laugh bellowed from the depths of the figure's  
body and echoed into the night.  
Morning finally settled upon the land. Rays of sunshine beamed down on the  
formerly dark hills. An occasional cloud shadowed a few of the hills as it caressed the  
face of the sun. The gentle aroma of wild flowers filled the air as some of the petals  
were carried away by the breeze.   
A woman approached the field of flowers, dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of dusty  
jeans. Her long, soft brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with a few pieces of  
hair hanging down to eye-level as bangs. Following her was a large group of people  
dressed in similar clothes and carrying many tools with them. As they caught up to her,  
she turned around, placing her hands on her hips, and looked out over the group of  
people. Her eyes scanned for any troublemakers as she gave the first orders, "Good  
morning, everyone. My name is Mayasha and I will be your team leader for this project.   
I have given each of you a set of papers as a briefing, but little history is known about this  
particular spot and that's why we are here. I expect all of you to do your best to uncover  
the mysteries that lurk beneath the surface. Good luck." With a couple mumbles from  
some workers, each person set out to find their own place to start.  
Later on, Mayasha's vibrant friend, Hyori, approached her during a break, "Maya,  
are you absolutely sure there's something here?"  
"I told you, Hyori, that I've been drawn to this particular area ever since I became  
an archaeologist. It is like a dream come true to be here right now."  
"And just what proof do we have?!"  
Mayasha smiles at her with perfect confidence, "None."  
About an hour after Hyori's questioning, Mayasha was walking through the wild  
flowers, looking around for something to catch her interest. By this time, she was  
starting to doubt if there were artifacts to find beneath the earth. The palms of her  
delicate hands swept over the tops of the tall wildflowers, the petals tickling her hands  
lightly. A cool, crisp breeze floated by, lifting the hair from her neck and filling her nose  
with the sweet scent of the flowers. As she took another step, Mayasha felt something  
hard dig into her heel. Stopping and kneeling down to see what it was, she noticed a  
piece of metal sticking up from the soil. She removed a small, hand shovel from her  
right, back pocket and carefully dug around the metal. After a few minutes, Mayasha had  
uncovered a cross that was approximately 3 feet in height, but she could not pull it from  
the soil.   
She shoved the tool into the dirt, towering over the shovel to put her weight on it.   
Suddenly, the shovel broke through the ground and Mayasha's arms went through with it.   
She dropped the tool into the hole as her arms were sucked in as well. A loud, scraping  
noise reached her ears for a few seconds. A short silence followed, then a thud as if the  
shovel hit the ground far below. Shifting her weight to her legs, Mayasha was able to  
pull her arms from the hole and sit up. Brushing the loose dirt from her arms, she looked  
down at the cavity and took her flashlight from the tool belt that was strapped carelessly  
around her waste. She flashed the beam of light into the hole and saw dusty, dry-rotted  
shingles on a slanted roof and a steeple that rose to the top where the cross was attached.   
Her first reaction was a call to the other crew members, "Hey, guys! I think I found  
something!"  
People rushed to her side and crowded around the pore so that the only light that  
reached inside was that of her flashlight. Hyori pushed her way through a few of the  
crew members, "Out of my way! Maya, what's going on?!" Immediately, she shut up  
when she saw the building inside the hole. She knew what Mayasha was going to suggest  
and ordered, "Open up this hole and get some rope! We're going inside!"  
Once lowered into the pit, the few crew members that accompanied Mayasha and  
Hyori stood in awe for a few moments. It seemed as though the building had merely  
been covered by a blanket of earth. Though it was, of course, falling apart, the church  
was in really nice shape for being hundreds of years old. Mayasha was the first to pull  
herself together and walk in.  
Inside the church, sunlight beamed through a giant hole in the roof, revealing a  
small area where flowers were growing. The potent mixture of dust and sweet flowers  
filled the air. The sunlight also passed through beautiful stained glass windows that  
towered over her. She also spotted the figure of a girl tending to the flowers. The girl  
was dressed in a dirty pink dress that had buttons missing on the bottom half of the skirt  
and a heavier brown shirt over it. Her hair was similar to Mayasha's, but it was twisted  
in the ponytail and she had two tiny braids on the sides of her face. She stood slowly and  
turned to Mayasha and smiled brightly at her. Then, in the distance, Mayasha heard the  
voices of her friends behind her and she turned around for a split second to look for them.   
Remembering the girl, she spun around to see if it was still there, but the figure had  
disappeared.   
Hyori called out to Mayasha, "Maya, you look like you've just seen a ghost."  
Mayasha shook her head lightly and looked to her friend, "No, I'm just in awe at  
the fact that flowers are still growing here."  
"That's strange. How could flowers grow down here? They don't have sunlight  
or oxygen."  
Mayasha walked over to the small patch of flowers that was growing up from the  
floor and looked upward at an angle. There was another hole not far from the one she  
stumbled upon in which sunlight shined through to the exact spot of the flower bed.   
"That's not entirely true, Hyori." Her friend joined her as she explained, "Sunlight and  
oxygen have gotten down here through that hole over there. Moisture isn't a problem  
since it soaks into the ground and eventually drips down here from the surface. This  
accounts for the rotted appearance of the church. The sunlight may only hit this spot for  
a few minutes maybe an hour, but it must be enough for these plants to feed on. I just  
wonder if the entire place is merely covered in a blanket rather than erosion filling every  
crevice."  
Voices of the other crew members interrupted their quiet thoughts. Sam ran into  
the church and called for them, "Biggs has found another hole farther away from here in  
the largest hill in the area."  
"Now why in the world did he go that far away? That has to be at least a few  
miles away from here!" Hyori complained.  
Mayasha turned to take one last look at the church before heading for the surface,  
"Have the crew break through this ceiling, but be careful. They could easily fall into the  
hole and be killed. I'm going to the other site."  
She walked out of the church and tugged on the rope she used to climb down.   
Surface members pulled her out of the hole immediately and she headed for a rugged  
looking jeep where Biggs sat waiting for her. Hopping into the car, Mayasha asked  
questions, "Biggs, I know you like to do your own thing, but why did you go so far  
out?"  
"Actually, I was just driving around the area to see if there was anything that  
caught my interest. That's when I hit that damn hole and almost got stuck." Biggs was a  
large, husky man. He was dark-skinned and had a metal right arm. Mayasha never asked  
him what happened to it, because she figured if he wanted it to be known then he would  
have told them by now.   
"Fine then," she said as she propped her feet up on the dash and the wind pulled  
back on her long, silky hair. Soon after, a few more vehicles followed them the entire  
way to the site.  
Mayasha bent down to the hole to shine her flashlight into it while the others  
stood, waiting for her reaction. The light reflected immediately off a shiny surface,  
almost blinding her. She stood up and rubbed her eyes and everyone watched for her  
verdict. "It must be thick glass. This appears to be an enormous business building,  
probably the main building of the city. Break through this blanket of earth around the  
building and we'll call it a day. In a couple of hours we won't be able to see very well so  
hurry it up. After that, meet back at the hotel in Kalm to get a good night's rest. We'll  
need it for tomorrow."  
That night, the figure returned. The person strolled through the remaining  
wildflowers and onto the stripped land that was cleared for the archaeologists. This time,  
it was wearing a long, black cloak with the hood up to hide his face. The figure was in  
no hurry, but it swiftly made its way to the place where the large building was uncovered  
earlier in the day. Hopping through the open hole in the building, the boots cracked the  
broken glass that remained on the floor. All was dark except for the moon's light on a  
metal chamber with a clear viewing window. Above the window, engraved in metal was  
the name Jenova. Inside was a horrific creature that looked like a mutated human being  
frozen in a purple gel-like liquid. The cloaked figure placed a black-gloved hand on the  
window and whispered, "It has been too long, mother." The liquid pulsated with energy  
as a malevolent grin spread across his face. The light became blinding and, suddenly, the  
glass shattered, but the figure showed no sign of concern or injury. By the time the glass  
had fallen to the floor, both the figure and the creature inside the chamber were gone.  
The next morning, Mayasha was the first one at the site. She stood at the edge of  
the hole where the church was, staring down in deep thought as she sipped on her cup of  
hot chocolate. It wasn't long before Hyori approached her, "Maya, most of the crew are  
here and there are two new additions ready to meet with you and get started." With a  
slow nod, she turned to follow her friend. Hyori was always a very colorful person to say  
the least. Her hair was slightly darker than Mayasha's, but she had bangs and her hair  
was pulled back. She was also somewhat of a thief, borrowing people's tools and  
forgetting to give them back.  
Where the wildflowers began again stood the two new workers. Mayasha was  
impressed by the way these two looked. They were dressed to start work immediately  
and were both very handsome men. "Good morning, gentlemen. My name is Mayasha  
and I'm your team leader. Welcome to the site."  
The one that replied was tall and well built with emerald green eyes and short,  
silver hair. He was dressed in a pair of old jeans and T-shirt, "It is nice to meet you. My  
name is Riven and I'm looking forward to uncovering whatever lies here."  
"It is a pleasure to have you, Riven." Then, Mayasha looked to the quiet one who  
was dressed similar to the other. He looked just as strong, but he had blonde, spiky hair  
and deep, liquid blue eyes. "And what is your name?"  
For a moment, the guy seemed to be in his own world as he looked around.   
Finally, he snapped out of it, "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Michael."  
"It is nice to meet you both. I hope you'll do your best."  
Mayasha's first priority was to explore the newly uncovered building to determine  
its roll in the surrounding society. Once she was lowered into the enlarged cavity, she  
knew by the enormous size of the building that it was, indeed, the main building of the  
city. In order to get to the very bottom, Mayasha had to maneuver her way through large  
pipes that extended out into the city. A massive pipe ring surrounded the building and  
smaller tributaries branched off from the ring and winded their way to a small ring on the  
outskirts of the city. Being at such a great height slightly frightened her for she was  
hundreds of feet above the smallest buildings. Her feet touched the ground, but she was a  
little wobbly from the extreme heights. She took a moment to gaze up at the ruined  
building in awe of its dominance. As she stood beneath the encasing ring gazing up at  
the massive structure, she felt a presence...a feeling like dejavous.  
Eerie creeking surrounded her as she walked through the entrance. Mayasha  
carefully observed everything from a main desk to the two impressive staircases on the  
sides. The name on the front of the desk startled her. It read "ShinRa" and Mayasha  
nearly tripped over a piece of debris on the floor. Shaking it off, she continued up the  
stairs. Each floor was special in its own way, and it was obvious that it was a major  
corporate building. There was even a tree in the center of a cafe on one of the floors.   
However, everything changed on the sixty-seventh floor. A chill ran up  
Mayasha's spine as her steps carried her to what appeared to be a storage room or a  
laboratory. The feeling was verified as she turned a corner and saw that this is where her  
light shined into the day before. She saw a large, circular metal chamber that had been  
opened...violently. The door was crunched up like an empty can that someone had  
stepped on. As she lifted her foot up, there was a strange gel-like liquid on the bottoms  
of her shoes. Kneeling down, she saw that it was purple and was obviously fresh.   
"Surely it would have evaporated by now," she mumbled to herself. Cautiously, she  
touched her hand to the liquid and a surge of energy shot through her arm and to her  
head. She saw the chamber as it was before with its radiating light and squinted to read  
what was engraved just above. She almost fainted as she read the name Jenova, but  
before she had the chance, a monster slammed against the viewing window with a loud,  
piercing scream. Mayasha was jolted back to reality with a sudden gasp. Her head  
jerked in every direction, reassuring herself that she was back in reality. It was time to  
get out of the building.  
For the remainder of the day, the crew uncovered much of the city easily. Riven  
was always around asking people if they needed help with anything. Michael pretty  
much kept to himself, but was always available if someone asked for help. Sometimes  
he was in his own little world just looking around as if in deep thought.   
At the end of the day, Hyori rode back to Kalm in Mayasha's silver car. On the  
way, they had a discussion about the two new guys. "Riven seems too cheery and helpful  
for even me to stand!" Hyori started.  
"Yes, he is. They are both very attractive and charismatic in their own ways."  
"On the other hand, Michael is too quiet. We would never hit it off with that kind  
of silence! He seems a little bizarre to me, don't you think?"  
"Oh well, we all have our quiet times do we not? Maybe he's nervous about  
working with us right now. Let him get adjusted to the new job and we'll see how quiet  
he actually is."  
"Well, at least we can say we finally have something to look at besides old  
relics!" They broke into laughter as the car reached Kalm and the hotel.   
Within a single work week, the crew had the entire city uncovered. Only the  
details remained. Mayasha could be found walking the dusty streets of the city off in her  
own little world. She had premonitions of how the city operated all those years ago.   
Suddenly, she saw the girl that was in the church standing on one of the street corners.   
Mayasha watched closely as she tried to sell her flowers to people that walked by. The  
city appeared dirty and crowded and the flower girl seemed so lonely, but always  
cheerful. The girl walked into a dark alley, looking like she was going home for the  
night. Mayasha then saw a young man walk up to her and tell her that it was dangerous  
to be there. He did not look like a normal citizen, but more like a fighter. The man  
bought one of her flowers as he sent her to safety. Mayasha smiled at the two, thinking  
the man seemed very familiar.  
She was about to start following the man to see what happened when Riven  
grabbed her shoulders and she snapped out of it. "Hey, Maya, come back to this planet!"  
"Oh, hi Riven. I was just thinking that's all."  
"You looked like you were in a daze. Are you all right?"  
"I'm fine, thank you. What are you doing here? I thought you were with the  
team."  
"I came to find you and see if you were all right since I haven't seen you with us  
lately."  
"I don't know. I feel as if I know this place from somewhere. I think maybe I'll  
go to the library tomorrow when we're off and see if I can find something."  
"What makes you think you know this place?"  
"It was a bedtime story my father used to tell me. He said there was a city called  
Midgar around here and that the planet was almost destroyed a long time ago. There was  
a group of nine I think it was: Cloud, a mercenary; Aeris, a flower girl; Barret and Tifa,  
members of a group called Avalanche; Red XIII, a lion-like creature; Vincent, a vampire;  
Yuffie, a materia thief; Sid, a pilot; and Cait Sith, a mechanical creature. A man named  
Sephiroth was trying to destroy the planet and it was up to them to stop him. It was a  
complicated story and took several nights to finish telling, but it was a great story. Aeris  
was killed in an attempt to stop Meteor from destroying the planet. The team found  
motivation in her death to defeat Sephiroth and save the day. I don't know if any of this  
is true or not, but it all seems real."  
"It sounds like a good story. You'll have to tell the whole thing to me sometime,  
but I've never heard of such a thing. However, if you want to at least dig up some history  
on this place, I'll help you. It's probably just a story and nothing more."  
"How do you know?"  
"It seems a little far-fetched to be real. I don't think it's possible."  
"Maybe, but I think it might be. Let's meet at the library at two o'clock, okay?"  
"I'll be there."  
Little did they know that a shadowy figure was lurking around the corner,  
listening to everything and watching them.  
Instead of waiting for two to come, Mayasha was at the library by noon. For  
some bizarre reason, she didn't trust Riven with this situation. He didn't seem to believe  
her at all. It did seem a little crazy, but not impossible. The figure that stalked her the  
previous day was at the library. Mayasha spun around, thinking she saw something, but  
she just shrugged and continued.   
As she walked out of one of the isles of books, reading as she went, Mayasha  
bumped into Michael, knocking her books onto the floor. "I'm so sorry, Maya. I didn't  
mean to run into you."  
"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."  
Michael knelt down and helped her pick up her books while picking up his own  
as well. Mayasha noticed that the books he had were on the exact topic she was  
researching. "What are you doing here? he asked."  
"I'm researching the history of the site. It intrigues me that there seems to be no  
information on it at all."  
"That's funny. I'm looking for the same thing, but I seem to have found  
something."  
They sat down at a small, vacant table to look at the books and newspapers he  
found. He looked at his watch and jumped, "I forgot about the time. It's almost two and  
I have to get back to my house. Maya, why don't you come over tomorrow after work  
and look at these with me. There is a lot to talk about."  
"Sure, why not? I'll be there."  
As soon as Michael left, Riven sneaked up behind her and gently massaged her  
shoulders, "Hello, Maya. I see you've already started without me."  
"I figured I'd be here a few minutes early to get started."  
"Well, I'm here now. Let's see if we can find anything."  
Mayasha hid a paper that Michael had accidentally left behind in her backpack so  
that Riven didn't see it. Riven didn't seem like he knew what to do. Every time they  
found a lead, he would screw up or the listing would disappear. After a while, they  
finally gave up and went back to the hotel.  
Later that night, Mayasha shut herself in her room and took out the paper that  
Michael left behind. There was an article on the front page printed about monsters  
appearing and that a company named ShinRa was involved. She knew the name ShinRa  
was in the story her father told her and that she had to go to Michael's house to find out  
the rest.   
  
(end chapter 1) 


	2. Date With Destiny

After work the following day, Riven gave her a ride back to the hotel. "So, Maya, what  
are you doing tonight?"  
"I have plans to go to Michael's to talk to him about a few things."  
"That guy is really odd. Maybe you shouldn't go."  
"Personally, I think he's nice. I don't see anything wrong with it. Besides, it's  
about the project."  
"I think you've been working a little too hard. Perhaps you should take a night  
off and go out to dinner with me."  
"I really shouldn't. I already told him that I would be there."  
"But you need a break from all this. Come to dinner with me."  
With a heavy sigh, she gave in, "Fine, I'll go."  
As the two walked into a restaurant, the stalker peered around the corner, his  
liquid blue eyes watching their every move from the time they sat down until the time  
they left. As Riven's car drove away, the stranger stepped into the light and revealed  
himself as Michael. "I knew it. She better be there tomorrow or else."  
Michael approached her at the site the next day, "Maya, I thought you were  
coming over last night."  
"I'm really sorry. I got sidetracked."  
"Well, I really need you to come over tonight then. We are running out of time.   
You must come or I'll have to take drastic measures that I don't want to."  
"All right. I'll be there for sure tonight."  
Riven insisted on driving her home after work as usual. "I had fun last night.   
What about you, Maya?"  
"Yes, I did, but I have to get to work tonight. I'm going to Michael's house."  
"What did I tell you about that guy?! I don't trust him at all!"  
"I have to go or he said he'll have to take drastic measures."  
"See? I swear that guy is up to something."  
"I have to go!"  
"Then let me go with you just in case."  
"No, I'm going alone and there's nothing you can say to stop me."  
After picking up a few things at the hotel, Mayasha headed over to Michael's  
house which was just down the street from there. When she knocked on the door, she  
heard his voice telling her to wait a minute. Michael opened the door to let her in  
dressed only in a pair of pants. Mayasha forced herself not to blush as she walked in.   
"I'm sorry. I just got out of the shower. Feel free to look around." With that, he rushed  
off to get a shirt and left her to look around.  
She was startled to find the house was decorated with weapons and spherical  
glass orbs of different colors such as yellow, blue, green, and red. At one point, she  
thought about leaving as soon as possible, but then decided to be brave and stay.   
Michael walked out of a room and saw her staring at the weapons, "It seems  
intimidating, I know, but they're very old weapons from my ancestors. Well, my  
ancestors and my ancestors' friends."  
She took out the paper he left at the library and handed it to him, "I believe this is  
yours. I didn't know if you had checked it out of the library or not so I brought it with  
me."  
"No, it is not from the library like I said. It is another thing passed down by my  
family. I apologize for lying, but there was a reason for it." He reached for a stack of  
papers on a table in the middle of the room then handed them to her. "These are all from  
that time."  
Mayasha's face turned extremely shocked and surprised when she read the  
headlines. Most of them spoke of Sephiroth, ShinRa, or Meteor which was from the  
story that her father told her. "I knew this was true! For some reason, I just knew it!"  
"Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated than the paper makes it sound." After  
Mayasha's puzzled look, he continued. "The entire story was true. Only a select few  
people still know that story for one particular reason."  
"And what's that?"  
"Please, sit down. If you don't, I'm afraid you'll fall over and hit your head after  
I explain this."  
Mayasha braced herself as she sat down across from Michael, preparing herself  
for the worst. He looked over her for a few seconds before moving on with the story.   
"After the world was saved, life went on, of course. It wasn't long before something else  
disrupted the peace. As it turns out, Aeris's sacrifice generated a child. By some twist of  
magic, the sacrifice of a Cetran by another while in prayer crossed Aeris's and  
Sephiroth's magic and a child was born from it. No one knew this until a few months  
after it was over. The child was taken in by Bugenhagen while at the Ancient City before  
his death. He left the child in the care of the people of Cosmo Canyon and, later, Red  
found out and raised it with the people's help. From then on, the children of each of the  
six people became direct descendants and the story was passed on from generation to  
generation. It was said that once Sephiroth's spirit is reawakened, the spirits of the six  
people will be as well and the fight will begin again. Once Sephiroth is reawakened, the  
direct descendant of Cloud Strife will be named after him and the descendants of the rest  
will look exactly like them. Mayasha, what is your last name?"  
"Mine? It's Gainsborough."  
"Please go look at the staff in the more elaborate case behind me. Read the name  
on the plate."  
Mayasha's knees were shaking as she stood up and walked behind the couch that  
Michael was sitting on. Her eyes scanned the case that the staff was contained in, her  
hand gently placed upon the smooth glass, and she finally got enough courage to look at  
the name, "Princess Guard in loving memory of Aeris Gainsborough." As she read the  
name on the plate, the vertigo took over and she started to fall backward, but Michael  
stood up in time to catch her.   
"Mayasha, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this before. My name isn't Michael. It is  
actually Cloud...Cloud Strife. That is why you recognize all these places and have  
premonitions about the way the city used to be. I didn't want to unload all this on you so  
suddenly, but our ancestors were exactly our age when it all happened."  
Mayasha completely avoided pleasantries, feeling brave enough to be blunt and  
asked, "So, is Riven the reawakened spirit of Sephiroth?"  
"I believe so, but I don't know for sure."  
"I can't believe all this is happening. Riven seemed like a good guy, but it would  
explain why he's been telling me to stay away from you."  
"More than likely, he was trying to win you over to his side. Aeris and Sephiroth  
were both children of the ancient Cetra."  
His hold on her loosened and Mayasha fell to her knees. "What am I supposed to  
do? I can't fire him. He would surely know what was wrong then."  
"I'm sure he already does. I think we should leave first thing in the morning and  
head for Cosmo Canyon. I know that's far away, but the Highwind is hidden--"  
"The Highwind? That's the plane. Wouldn't it be old and rusted by now?"  
"It was kept underground in a safe place where people could take care of it in  
case of an emergency. If it has been kept properly, there shouldn't be a problem."  
"I guess I'll just tell Hyori that I'm sick and that I need the day off, or should I tell  
her the truth?"  
"No, you can't tell anyone just yet. It's not time for them to know. Luckily,  
you're staying in a public place so you should be safe for the night. I don't think he'd try  
to kidnap you tonight. Had it been a privately owned house, I would have made you stay  
here."  
With only a slight smile on his face, Cloud extended his hand to help her up. As  
Mayasha took his hand, she asked, "Could you do me a favor?"  
"Of course."  
"Take me to the site for a few minutes. There's something I need to do."  
The headlights on Cloud's fire red car ignited as it rolled out of Kalm and into the  
grassy countryside beyond. As soon as the car left the town, another followed without its  
headlights. Riven's black one was hidden perfectly by the night's shadows as he trailed  
them on their way to the uncovered city of Midgar.  
Mayasha's bright, icy blue eyes shined brilliantly under the moonlight with a  
completely determined look. For a moment, she almost seemed emotionless as her eyes  
stared directly ahead even though the wind whipped her hair around her face. Millions of  
thoughts ran through her mind like Why me? What am I supposed to do? I can't fight!   
I've never even had to defend myself with something other than words! What's going to  
happen? Is this prophecy even true or am I following some stupid story that never really  
existed?   
As the car came to a sudden halt, Mayasha was forced out of her thoughts.   
"We're here," Cloud said sullenly as he pulled the key from the ignition.   
She hesitantly opened the door and stepped out, feeling the cool breeze crash  
against her ankles. "Thank you. Please wait here. I'll return shortly."  
"Where are you going?"  
"There's something I have to do and I have to do it alone."  
"Be very careful. Riven could be hiding anywhere."  
With a reassuring nod, she slipped on a navy blue cotton jacket over the  
form-fitting black tank top and pulled her French braided hair from beneath it. Mayasha  
took in a deep breath of the cool, crisp air before taking the first step toward the forgotten  
city. Her reluctant steps kicked up some of the dust from the stripped land as they  
carried her down the man-made stairs the diggers created for "easy access." The thought  
of "easy access" seemed somewhat hysterical to her for she didn't see how walking down  
these steps to possible doom was so easy. Though her mind was a complete wreck,  
Mayasha maintained a calm exterior to show whatever strength she felt she had left.   
Once she reached the bottom, the silence was deafening. A bright flash of light  
startled her and she threw her arms up to protect her face. Slowly, she let her guard  
down and peered over her arm to distinguish the source of the light, but what she saw  
was much more than what she expected. She was standing in the middle of a crowded  
cobblestone street with people everywhere dressed in casual clothing and neon lights  
above practically every shop. The odor of grease from restaurants and exhaust from cars  
quickly invaded her nose. Just as Mayasha was finally accepting her surroundings, a  
horn blared at her as a car was about to hit her. Her reflexes shoved her to the side of the  
street while the car splashed a little bit of water from a puddle on the bottoms of her dark  
denim jeans.  
Through the commotion, a familiar voice reached her ears. All she had to hear  
was, "Excuse me, sir, but would you like to buy some flowers?" and her head whipped  
around to find the flower girl from the church standing on the same street corner. As the  
crowd thinned slightly, another familiar person approached her. Cloud? she thought as  
he turned toward the flower girl. The only conversation Mayasha could hear clearly was  
him buying a flower from her then warning her to get to safety. It appeared that the noise  
of the people around them simply vanished as she continued to listen to them. After the  
man went on his way, Mayasha followed the girl as she disappeared into a back alley. As  
she turned the corner, the flower girl was gone, but Mayasha knew exactly where she had  
to go.   
The old, decaying church looked almost haunted as she stood before it, but as  
soon as she stepped inside, there was a spotlight on the flower bed growing in the center  
where the flower girl was knelt down to tend to the plants. The light was like sunshine,  
But it's not daylight, Mayasha thought. Instead of dwelling on the minor detail, she  
quietly tiptoed through the darkness toward the flower girl. Stepping into the light, it was  
so heavenly that it was almost blinding and cascaded over her visage like a waterfall.   
The girl looked up at her with a warm, friendly smile as she brushed the dirt from  
her hands and stood up. With a light giggle, the girl's voice finally shattered the silence,  
"Hello, Mayasha! At last, we get to meet each other."  
Though her words were soothing and friendly, Mayasha's facial expression only  
lightened slightly. "Let me guess, your name is Aeris."  
"That's it! You probably have a million and one questions to ask me right now.   
Start asking!"  
"Is it real? Is this whole prophecy real? What is my part in it? Why me? What  
am I supposed to do? I mean, I've never had any experience with fighting or saving the  
world. I'm an archaeologist! I find remains, I don't make them!"  
"Unfortunately, the prophecy is real. The Lifestream has obviously chosen you  
because you have the heart and the potential to defend the planet. As my descendant, you  
are doomed to this fate and I'm sorry that it has come to this. All I can do is wish you  
luck and give you this..." Aeris's right fist extended to Mayasha. When it opened, there  
was a white orb glistening beneath the celestial light. "This is the White Materia. It will  
be your strongest weapon, but only in times of great need. You'll know when the time  
comes what to do. I trust in my heart that Cloud will take care of you. Go save the  
world!" Aeris's smile was cheery and optimistic even though Mayasha was hardly  
cheery. She reached out and gently took the orb from Aeris's hand and thanked her. It  
was time to go and face all her fears.   
Unexpectedly, the earth shuddered fiercely. Dirt and debris inside the church  
flew everywhere and Mayasha struggled to keep her balance as she shielded her face with  
her arms. Just as soon as it came, the tremor stopped and Aeris shouted, "Go!"  
Mayasha's heart started racing as she shot out the door of the church. The ground  
shook violently every few seconds and caused her to trip several times. Eventually, she  
was knocked to the dirt, striking her head on the side of a stone and forcing the air out of  
her lungs. Fighting to regain her lost breath, she inhaled some of the dust and began  
coughing excessively. Her determination nudged her on as her arms pushed against the  
ground in an attempt to get up. A thunderous, lazer-like sound exploded from the  
distance and her head spun around in time to catch a glimpse of a lighting bolt streaking  
across the sky and striking the fragile wooden building next to her. The structure rocked  
from the foundation and came crashing down on Mayasha. With fear as her stimulant,  
her legs pulled her upright and sprinted ahead in time for the building to miss her. The  
force of the collapsed structure added momentum to her already swift sprint.  
Lactic acid filled her muscles, causing them to burn immensely yet the adrenaline  
drove her forward. She took one last look at the building behind her and at the horrible  
fate that almost descended upon her. After feeling a bit relieved, a figure caught her  
attention and her head whirled around to see Cloud at the top of the canyon, created by  
the digging, with an enormous sword and fighting another person in the sky. Her sprint  
came to an extremely abrupt halt as her eyes discovered exactly who he was fighting.  
Dressed completely in black clothing with a hooded cloak and gloved hands was  
Riven. His short, spiky, silver hair and radiating green eyes distinguished him from  
anyone she had ever met. It was then that her attention was caught by a third person in  
the area immediately at the top of the canyon to her right. The figure was dressed  
entirely in black as well, but what he was wearing beneath the cloak was indeterminable  
and the hood was up, shadowing his face from view. Mayasha's heart leaped into her  
throat and her ears started ringing from the intense terror she felt.   
An arm emerged from the cloaked figure and from the arm a ball of fire grew and  
fired directly at Cloud. Meanwhile, Cloud's attention was on Riven and he was struck on  
the right side. He was thrown several feet and hit the ground hard, bumping against a  
few stones. The cloaked figure's hand gestured to Riven and pointed him in the direction  
of Mayasha. Riven bowed slightly and turned toward her with an evil glare.   
As she took a scared step backward, Mayasha heard a voice call to her. Her head  
jerked to the left and Cloud was standing on the edge with a long staff in his left hand.   
Cloud flung the staff rapidly in her direction as Riven shot at her with extreme speed.   
Mayasha's hands grasped the staff a split second before Riven's sword lashed out at her.   
Her reflexes worked quickly and held the staff up to protect herself from the blow. The  
weapons collided with immense force, creating sparks between the two. Riven's  
momentum was halted immediately and his body pushed against the staff. As he was  
stopped, his thrust brought along a strong wind to add to his strength. The tornado-type  
winds coupled with Riven's strength threw Mayasha back against the side of a nearby  
building, making a dent in the wood where she hit. Her body fell limp to the ground,  
unconscious from hitting against the building.  
"Mayasha!" Cloud cried as he leaped down into the canyon and darted after her.   
Riven stood calm and cool even as Cloud sprinted at him with a grin on his face. As  
Cloud came within two yards of Riven, the cloaked figure appeared before him. He  
stopped immediately, but it was too late. With one mighty swing of a 7-foot-long sword,  
the figure cut deep into Cloud's left side. His body slumped forward and fell to his  
knees, eventually on his back.   
The wind caught the hood of the cloak and yanked it back off the figure's head,  
but he grabbed it and pulled it back on after he paused for a few seconds, standing with  
his knees bent and the sword fully extended. His right foot slid back and his posture  
straightened until he stood tall above Cloud. Slowly, he sheathed the sword at his left  
side and reached up for the hood. Gloved hands untied the cloak, slipping it off his back  
and tossing it on the ground next to Cloud. Long, silver hair cascaded down his back and  
deep, radiating, emerald eyes brighter than Riven's stared down at the badly wounded.   
Black combat leather covered his entire body, except for a cross of brown across his bare  
chest. Black, knee-high combat boots and pants clothed his legs and a shin-length trench  
coat covered the rest. He had white shoulder guards and metal rings around his wrists  
where his gloves ended and around his knees just under the tops of the boots. His dark  
presence lingered silently over Cloud for a moment before he spoke, "Hello, Cloud. It  
has been a while. Ha, ha, ha!" His deep, wicked laugh echoed throughout the city and  
into the night.  
Clouds eyes widened greatly upon hearing the voice, and, with the strength he had  
left, breathed, "Se...phi...roth..."  
Sephiroth grinned and turned to his acquaintance and said, "Let's go, Riven.   
Dawn is approaching and the others will be here soon." Riven nodded and scooped up  
Mayasha's body. In a flash, they were gone. (end Chapter 2)  



	3. Rendezvous at Cosmo Canyon

Cloud used what little energy he had remaining and tried to sit up. His hands  
planted firmly on the ground and fought against gravity and a piercing pain in his side in  
order to push himself up into a sitting position. Cringing in agony, he reached for the  
cloak Sephiroth dropped next to him with his left hand as he held the blood-soaked  
wound with his right. His left arm tingled and went numb as his hand closed to grab the  
cloak. Though his right hand was covered in blood, he used it to rip the cloak into two  
strips. Carefully, he removed the blood-stained, sleeveless, turtleneck sweater and tied  
the two strips of the cloak around the gash.  
Bending his knees and digging his left elbow into the dirt, Cloud managed to roll  
himself onto his stomach. His right hand was all he could use to drag himself along the  
ground toward the staircase leading out of the canyon. Gradually, he pulled himself  
almost halfway up the stairs before completely giving up. "I can't do this. Cloud and  
Aeris, I'm sorry."  
A loud, boisterous voice shouted just as the vertigo was setting in, "Maya! Where  
are you?!" Cloud's ears perked up at the sound of the voice and, as he looked up, his  
eyes fell upon the form of Hyori nearing the top of the stairs.  
"H....Hyori...!" Cloud tried to shout out to her.  
Luckily, she heard him and looked down, "Michael? What are you doing here?"  
"Nevermind that! Help me!"  
Hyori dashed down the steps and finally saw his blood-covered hand and the  
pieces of material wrapped around his side. Though they were black, blood had  
obviously soaked right through it. She threw her arms above her head and waved them  
madly. "Guys! Over here! Quick!"  
Sam, Biggs, and Lucrecia sprinted down the steps to help Hyori with Cloud. "We  
need an ambulance!" Lucrecia exclaimed.  
"No!" Cloud shouted. "I'll be fine. Get me back to my house and I can do it  
myself."  
"Are you crazy?!" Hyori shouted at him.  
"I'm not crazy. I'm in pain, now please just do as I ask! My car is at the top of  
the canyon."  
Sam and Biggs knelt down and slipped their hands under him gently and lifted  
him. Slowly, they carried him to his car and laid him down in the back seat. Sam  
hopped into the driver's seat and Biggs left for his jeep once Cloud was securely strapped  
in. The first sunlight spilled over his body, but the dawn didn't seem as welcoming as  
usual. In fact, it seemed almost demonic, taunting him with the thought that it might be  
the last day the planet ever sees. Cloud's face hardens as he curses the sun in his mind  
and he stares straight at it. Finally, Sam broke the silence, "So, where is she?"  
"Huh?"  
"Where's Maya? You know where she is don't you? You probably kidnapped  
her and got wounded in her struggle."  
"I didn't kidnap her, but, unfortunately, I know where she is."  
"I'm sure you know."  
"Look, if I kidnapped her, where is Riven? Why would I come back? I would  
simply disappear." Sam didn't speak after that. "I do have some things to explain,  
though, that concerns all of our fates." Sam plucked the cigarette from his mouth and  
flicked it outside the car as he pressed his foot down harder on the gas pedal.  
The bright red car came to a stop directly in front of Cloud's house. Sam got out  
first to help Cloud. He put his right arm around Sam's shoulders and made his way into  
the house.   
Only a few minutes later, the others were standing in his home, spread out around  
the living room. Cloud was neatly bandaged and holding two pictures in his right hand.   
With a slightly cracked, sullen voice, he spoke quietly to them, "I should start by telling  
you all that my real name isn't Michael. All of you have heard the legend of Sephiroth,  
Meteor, and the struggle to save the planet a few hundred years ago, right?" When  
everyone nodded to him, he continued, "You probably think it's some sort of bedtime  
story, but it's not. We are the only six who know this story. Two of the other three are  
still around, but one was lost in the sands of time. The reason we are the only ones that  
know is that we are all direct descendants of those people who fought to protect the  
planet." Cloud tossed the first, horizontal picture on the table. It was of eight out of the  
nine people in the party. "Tifa and Lucrecia Lockheart, Cid and Sam Highwind, Barret  
and Biggs Wallace, and Yuffie and Hyori Kisaragi." The four of them crowded around  
the picture with dropped jaws and widened eyes. Each of them looked exactly like one  
of the people in the picture.  
"B....but what happened to the other five?" Lucrecia asked.  
"Well," Cloud explained, "Cait Sith was the one lost in time, Vincent is asleep  
once more in the ShinRa mansion, Aeris was killed by Sephiroth if you recall, Red is still  
in Cosmo Canyon, and Cloud....If you remember, the prophecy states that when the spirit  
of Sephiroth is reborn, each of the descendants would look exactly like their ancestor and  
the descendant of Cloud Strife would both look and be named exactly like him. My real  
name is Cloud Strife and I look identical to the one in the picture. As for the ninth  
person, Aeris, she was killed by Sephiroth in the City of the Ancients long ago." Cloud  
stood and started pacing while gazing at the second photo. "Cloud, my ancestor, deeply  
loved her though he never actually showed it. He was devastated by Aeris's death, but no  
one counted on what happened. By some twist of fate, Aeris's sacrifice by another  
Cetran while she was in prayer created a child. The child was raised by Red, but no one  
ever knew besides the party members." He then tossed the second picture of Cloud and  
Aeris on the coffee table. "This is a picture of them while on a 'date' at the Gold Saucer  
Amusement Park."  
Hyori gasped as she stared, astonished at the picture, "She looks exactly like  
Maya!"  
"Precisely...."  
"So, the spirit of Sephiroth has been reborn?" Sam asked.  
"I'm not so sure of that anymore," Cloud replied. "To be perfectly honest, Riven  
and Sephiroth took her."  
"What the hell do you mean?!" Biggs shouted. "Why Riven? And how could  
they both take her?"  
"Let me explain. Last night, I told Maya the entire story about her identity. She  
asked me to take her to the site, but I still have yet to figure out why. A few moments  
after she disappeared into the city, Riven appeared out of nowhere and attacked me. He  
hovered in the sky and was dressed completely in black. Another cloaked figure  
appeared to my right, but he acted like a mere spectator. About fifteen minutes into my  
struggle, Mayasha returned and the cloaked man attacked me. He gestured for Riven to  
capture her, but luckily I had the staff Aeris used and I threw it to her. Though she put up  
a good fight, Riven knocked her back against a wooden building and forced her  
unconscious. I leaped down and tried to protect her, but the cloaked man attacked me.   
His long sword sliced my left side and I fell to the ground. He untied the cloak and  
revealed his identity as Sephiroth. I couldn't get up to save Maya and they took her.   
They took her!"  
"Where could they have taken her?" Lucrecia asked.  
"I assume they took her to the Crater far up north to summon Meteor once again.   
They'll either turn her to their side or sacrifice her before she can pray for Holy. First  
they will, more than likely, use her as bait for us."  
"How could Sephiroth have lived? And for so long?"  
"I wish I knew. All I do know is that we have to go to Cosmo Canyon and  
Nibelheim to find Red and Vincent. The Highwind is--"  
"Highwind?!" Sam exclaimed. "Wouldn't that thing be old and falling apart by  
now?"  
"No, because there has been a team to take care of it and add any necessary  
modifications since that time."  
"Let's go!"  
Meanwhile, Mayasha awoke to find herself encased in a teal cocoon of materia in  
the center of a red-vined ceiling above the very bottom of the Crater where Riven and  
Sephiroth made plans for the end of the world. She looked down at herself and found  
that she was dressed in tight black lace with long sleeves, a solid, satin midsection, and a  
slit up the right leg. Her hair was still braided and her staff was leaning against the rocky  
walls on the ground. She reached out with her right hand and touched the encasing only  
to be lightly shocked.   
Riven and Sephiroth's attention immediately switched to her. Sephiroth grinned,  
bending his knees slightly, and floated up to her eye level. For a moment, he remained  
silent and Mayasha just stared right back at him, hiding the massive fear inside. Her  
bright, ice blue eyes were as deep as his green ones while they tried to read each other's  
minds. Finally, Sephiroth spoke, "I see you have awakened. It's about time."  
"What do you want?"  
Sephiroth didn't answer her. Instead, the teal case around her dissolved and she  
was left suspended in air. "You're a Cetran. You should understand the journey I'm  
taking. It's the journey to the Promised Land. The Cetra, our ancestors, used to migrate  
and at the end of their long, hard journey, they would find ultimate happiness in the  
Promised Land. I'm giving you two choices. You can either join us or be sacrificed for  
our cause. Think long and hard before you answer."  
"Answer me one question... How could you have survived? Cloud destroyed you  
hundreds of years ago."  
"Once Cloud freed Holy, Mother chronologically froze Riven and myself in the  
Lifestream that rushed to protect this planet from Meteor. She waited until the right time  
to use her power, then we were reawakened recently. Since my presence was too  
familiar, I sent Riven to track you down."  
"Riven? Riven was alive back then?"  
"Yes. Little did Cloud and his friends know, I trained Riven myself here while  
waiting for Meteor to strike in case I was killed before the mission was accomplished.   
He almost took command, but Mother insisted on waiting for another time." Mayasha  
flashed Riven an evil, angry glare while he stood by and watched.  
Putting most of his weight on his hands, Cloud pushed himself off the couch and  
to his feet. Walking over to the wall to his right, he began to remove each of the  
weapons from their cases. After they were all bundled in his arms, he opened a flimsy,  
brown bag and stuffed the weapons in it, trying the rope around it. His fingers wrapped  
around the hilt of his Ultima Weapon, reached up over his right shoulder, and slowly  
sheathed it across his back. Then, he approached the case where Aeris's, now  
Mayasha's, Princess Guard was previously kept. Placing his hand gently on the smooth  
glass, Cloud hung his head and whispered, "Aeris, I promise your death will not be in  
vain." The expression on his face turned angry and determined. His body shook with the  
tense feeling in his muscles. "I will save her and the planet. Neither Sephiroth nor Riven  
will stop me. I swear it on my life." Salty tears started to form in the corners of his eyes.   
"Though I have only known her for a little over a week, I know exactly what my  
ancestor, the original Cloud Strife, felt for you." The others watched him with quiet  
sympathy, not saying a word. His voice broke the silence, "We must go to Nibelheim  
and awaken Vincent, then to Cosmo Canyon to find Red and decide what we're going to  
do." He opened the case that his sword was kept, curled his fingers around a handle, and  
pulled down. The bare wall space to his right opened to reveal a secret passage that went  
down beneath the ground. Picking up the brown back, Cloud turned to face the others as  
they gathered their courage and stood up and said, "Let's go."  
Down a stone stairway and through a twisted, damp hall, the group of five  
traveled until they reached an enormous room where the Highwind was kept. Workers of  
all kinds rushed around, preparing the plane for takeoff. "Sam, your ancestors have  
always loved airplanes and so do you am I correct?" Cloud asked.  
Sam plucked the cigarette from his mouth, dropped it on the ground, and put it  
out with the tip of his right foot, "Yeah, ever since I was a little boy."  
"Then you should have no trouble accepting a captain's position." The crew  
members quickly boarded the plane and the team hopped in after them. Large, overhead  
doors opened as the Highwind rose from the ground and shot off through the sky.   
Cloud stayed outdoors on a platform on the belly of the aircraft. Though the sky  
was clear and beautiful, there seemed to be a dark cloud hovering over him. As he  
leaned over the side of the Highwind, the wind combed his hair and his deep blue eyes  
were so distant. Hyori leaned against the rail beside him and smiled the best she could,  
"Hey, Cloud! Be careful or you'll fall over the side! I'm sure that's just what this planet  
needs, a dead Cloud Strife!" Though she meant well, she wasn't exactly the most  
sentimental person in the world. "Don't worry, we'll get her back!"  
It wasn't long before the Highwind landed just outside of Nibelheim. Cloud took  
a deep breath before his eyes settled upon the villiage. From the pictures he had seem,  
the town hadn't changed a bit. The off-white houses with Indian red roofs and dark  
brown trim, and the small tower in the center of the town still remained. They made  
their way into the empty town, and on the opposite side of the villiage was...the ShinRa  
mansion. It looked similar to all the other buildings in Nibelheim, but it was much  
larger.   
Before continuing to the mansion, Cloud stopped in front of a small house. It had  
only a door in front, but the windows were on each side of the house other than the front.   
He remembered that it was his ancestor's house and sighed as he stared at it. As Lucrecia  
neared him, he asked, "Do you feel strange?"  
With a puzzled look, she replied, "Yeah, I do. Do I know this place?"  
He nodded and pointed to a larger, two-story house next to the tiny one, "That  
was Tifa's house before she moved to Midgar. Cloud's house was this small one to the  
left. Cloud and Tifa were childhood friends that were reunited during the crisis."  
Once the rest of the team had caught up, they ascended the small staircase to the  
left of the small house and stood in front of the mansion. The ShinRa mansion was a  
haunting figure, sending chills up each person's spine. It was surrounded by an almost  
solid wooden fence with a damaged black metal gate.   
Certainly, the inside was much more horrific than the outside. Only a small  
amount of light reached inside the house through the large, dusty, towering windows at  
the top of a grand staircase. The wooden floor creaked eerily beneath their feet as they  
scaled the right side of the stairs and followed the top platform to the right. The old,  
musty smell of the house was almost gagging. After making their way through the aged  
rooms that were falling apart, they approached a doorway in the middle of a rounded,  
cobblestone chamber in the upper right hand corner of the room. Normally, the door  
would have been closed to conceal it. They descended a long, wobbly, spiral staircase to  
the basement. It was damp and the musty smell was even worse. An occasional bat flew  
past their heads as Cloud ducked into a door on his right. In the back of the room was a  
coffin and the walls were decorated with chains and other metal objects. Sitting on the  
coffin was a tall, dark figure. He was dressed in black except for a long, flowing crimson  
cape that wrapped around his shoulders, neck, and up around his forehead. Cascading  
raven hair fell around his shoulders, metal rings encircled his ankles, and from the center  
of his foot to the pointed toe of his boot was metal. "I knew you would come," the figure  
mumbled.  
"Vincent," Cloud said from the doorway, "we need your help. The planet is in  
danger once again."  
Holstering his Lariat on his right hip, he nodded, "I understand."  
Back at the Crater, Mayasha separated herself from Riven and Sephiroth in order  
to think of a way she could get herself out of that place. In a different room, she sat on a  
small ledge, crossing her right leg over her left and not caring that the slit on the right  
exposed most of her leg. She hit her head lightly against the wall behind her that was  
made completely of materia and continued to think.   
Just then, Riven strolled into the room with his deep, grassy green eyes scanning  
over her. Mayasha's stare wasn't exactly a warm welcome to him. A grin spread across  
his face as he spoke, "Maya, I'm glad to see you again."  
"Spare me the pleasantries, Riven. I'm not exactly happy with you. One minute  
you act all nice and helpful, and the next you want to destroy the world....two-faced if  
you will."  
"I was only doing as I was instructed."  
"And what's this about being well over two hundred years old?"  
He nodded and sat down beside her, "Chronologically, yes I am about two  
hundred and twenty-four years old, but I'm only twenty-four in mind and body." His  
right hand reached up to caress her face, but Mayasha pulled away, feeling disgusted by  
his touch. "Please, Maya. I do care about you. I always have, but it's not my fault that  
you were my target." Riven leaned forward and forced a kiss upon her lips. She went  
along with it as her right arm reached around a corner where her staff was leaning against  
the wall. Her hand gripped it tightly and swung it around to hit him in the stomach.   
Once Riven had his guard down from being hit, she raised her exposed right leg to push  
him onto the ground away from her. Jumping up from the ledge, Mayasha stood ready in  
case he tried something else. Riven laughed slightly as he pulled himself from the  
ground and unsheathed a sword. It was a dark blue blade to start out, but it gradually  
faded to a lighter sky blue color as the top edge fanned out a little. "This is the Rune  
Blade. Cloud used to have one of these if I'm not mistaken. If this is the way you want  
to play, then let's play." Mayasha's glare was unwavering as she watched Riven's every  
move.  
Suddenly, an evil laugh echoed throughout the room. Sephiroth stood in the  
doorway with a grin on his face. "I see that you have inherited my strong will and  
determination. Excellent. You could prove very useful to me." While her guard was  
down, Riven swiftly relieved her of her weapon and held her arms behind her back.   
"However, you don't know that you're not supposed to take your eyes off your enemy."  
"And who says that I will help you?" she snapped.  
"You might not have a choice. Riven, I am leaving you with the responsibility of  
summoning Meteor while I take care of a few other things. Do not fail me."  
Riven bowed, letting go of Mayasha's arms, and strolled out of the room.   
Sephiroth stayed for a few minutes and she didn't budge. She was completely paralyzed  
with fear, but her exterior did not show it. "I know you will help me. We are the last of  
an ancient race that should have been dominant over this planet."  
"I'm sure that our ancestors would try to preserve the planet in the most selfless  
way possible. It was your 'mother' that wounded the planet and tried to destroy it!"  
"Mother was the true ruler of this planet and it is through me that she will realize  
that dream." Swiftly, he drew his Masamune, a 7-foot-long sword, and thrust it under her  
neck. The movement was so quick, that the fear immediately spread across her face. "If  
you were any other person, I would have killed you like I did Aeris. Don't get in my  
way. Either you help us or you will end up like the rest of them will very soon." Slowly,  
he lowered the blade, turned, and walked out of the room.  
As soon as he was gone, Mayasha fell to her knees and whispered, "Cloud, please  
hurry."  
By this time, the Highwind had landed near Cosmo Canyon. Arriving at the top  
of the stairs that led to the villiage, a man that stood guard said, "Nanaki has been  
waiting for you. He is in Bugenhagen's observatory." All the houses and shops were  
built right into the rock that was on top of a small plateau above the canyon. Green roofs  
sheltered the balconies that extended out from the rock. Most of the places were only  
accessible by ladders. A fire, known as the Candle, blazed on a small platform in the  
center. The team scaled well over five flights of stairs to reach the enormous  
planetarium that overlooked the villiage.  
Once inside, a voice called, "Welcome everyone." A lion-like creature emerged  
from the shadows. He had firey red fur, a short, spiky mane, feathers decorating his ears,  
metal cuffs around his ankles, tatoos around the shoulders of his front and hind legs, and  
a flaming tail. There was also a scar on his right eye that inabled him to see out of it  
"Hello, Red," Cloud replied.  
"The planet is in grave, immediate danger and so is the girl. Like my grandfather,  
I can tell that the planet is in great dispair right now. It is shuddering beneath Sephiroth's  
evil grasp. I have no doubt that Meteor will be making an appearance."  
"Then we have no time to waste. We must get to the Crater."  
The group headed out the door only to stop abruptly and shift their attention to the  
sky. The sky was tinted a blood red as a crimson ball of fire hung just above the clouds.   
Red and the others gasped, "It's here." 


End file.
